


Shape of Mother

by sirladyknight



Series: Obi-Mom [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Animal Injuries Due To Whaling, F/M, Female Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obligatory Mermaid AU, merfolk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-09 06:43:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15261678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sirladyknight/pseuds/sirladyknight
Summary: The female Obi-Wan mermaid!au that no one asked for but that I wanted to write. (And yes, that is a Shape of Water reference but believe me that's about where the resemblance ends.)





	1. Chapter 1

“Sorry, Rex, I’m in a hurry!” Anakin dashed pass the longsuffering security guard, waving his clearance card in the air. The blond man sighed into his extra strong coffee and unlocked the fortified laboratory entrance with a press of a button. A loud buzz followed that indicated the door was open.

“Next time sign in properly!” Rex shouted after him. The guard worked the nightshift with his brother Cody, but he was the more lenient of the two when it came to following protocol. “Cody’ll have you redo your entire ten-page permission form if you try that with him!”

Anakin made a face and yelled back, “Next time!”

There was a new shipment coming in and he was running late. His mentor, Doctor Qui-Gon Jinn, would disapprove if he didn’t see to its safe arrival. They were both marine biology specialists working at the Coruscant Aquarium Scientific Research Facility, or CASRF for short. An extremely difficult job to attain and even more challenging to keep, facilities across the world sent them abnormal and rare aquatic specimens to care for and examine. The fact that this specimen was being delivered at such an unusual hour meant that it was very strange indeed.

Pushing through the swinging double doors of the main room, he did a quick scan and was disconcerted to find no one in sight.

 _That’s weird. There are usually a few movers that stay around to stare at the tanks_ , Anakin thought, inspecting each tank in turn to make sure none of the occupants were dead or missing. He found that all of the fish seemed fine, salt and freshwater alike.

Past the large tank room was the smaller office area where they kept the computers and other electronics that didn’t mix well with water. Past that was the private chamber reserved for the massive tank that could contain larger creatures, like killer whales or baby humpbacks.

That was where Anakin found Qui-Gon. The older researcher stood in the dark, illuminated in the glow of the blue water.

Eyebrows furrowing, Anakin approached the empty tank.

A flash of movement behind the glass had him stumbling back with a yelp. Qui-Gon laughed heartily.

 _Apparently not so empty,_ Anakin conceded and asked, “Is that the new arrival?”

“Indeed it is,” Qui-Gon answered with an excited smile. “Now, don’t be shy. Why don’t you greet each other?”

Rolling his eyes at his mentor’s quirks, he began to greet was most likely a dolphin or seal when the creature swam to the front of the glass and pressed its hands to against it.

 _Her_ hands.

Anakin choked as he was caught between a gasp and a yell, rushing forward to put his hands over hers.

“Ben!” He cried, a watery grin stretching across his face. “You’re alive!”

The mermaid crooned loudly and he could feel the vibrations through the glass, her surreal blue eyes crinkling with mirth as he gaped at her.

“She was spotted off the coast not far from here, semi-conscious. A family out fishing in their personal boat was kind enough to bring her in,” Qui-Gon explained, watching them both fondly. “Her tail is injured, so I think she might have been trying to come back here to be healed.”

Anakin shot him a wide-eyed look before crouching to examine her tail himself. “It looks like harpoon damage, who could do such a thing? Mermaids are a protected species!”

“We both know that the law isn’t enough to prevent greed.” Qui-Gon stepped closer to his side and chuckled when Ben turned her attention to him, blowing bubbles and pressing a webbed hand near where his chest would be. “Yes, I missed you too.”

The mermaid was bigger than Anakin remembered. When she had rescued him as a child she had been large, but not this size. Now, her hands were capable of encompassing his entire skull. “You’ve grown, Ben.”

A slow swish of her tail and a raised eyebrow answered him. “I know I’ve grown too, but I was just a kid back then. I didn’t think mermaids continued to grow past adulthood,” he murmured to himself, taking rudimentary measurements of her tail, torso, and arms. “What do you think, Qui-Gon?”

The older man hummed and jotted down some notes onto the clipboard which had been by his side. “We don’t know much about mermaids other than they are sentients; Ben is the first we’d seen in over a decade.”

Ben tapped on the glass with a frown.

“Oh,” Qui-Gon said, flustered, “Sorry, it’s rude to talk about you as if you aren’t right there.”

She exhaled a stream of bubbles to show her agreement, her long hair fanning out around her like a halo of copper.

Anakin blinked, unable to take his eyes away from her. “It’s been so long, I was beginning to think you were just a dream I’d had, Ben. If it weren’t for the fact that Qui-Gon and Mom had seen you too, I don’t know if I would have believed you were real.”

He lowered his head. “Mom passed away a few years back. She would have loved to see you again.”

A soft whine filled the air and Ben’s face crumpled in sympathy. She pressed even closer, her gaze soft as a low whine seeped through the glass.

“Thanks,” Anakin replied to her shared grief, “I miss her too.” He felt Qui-Gon’s hand on his shoulder and after a solemn moment, he forced himself to smile. “I’m just glad you’re back, even if it is under such unlucky circumstances. Do you know who attacked you, Ben?”

The mermaid made a gesture that resembled throwing a spear and replicated the noise of a whale.

“It was a whaling harpoon then.” Qui-Gon’s brows furrowed. “With your coloration, it should have been clear that you were a mermaid.”

Anakin nodded in agreement. Ben’s tail was a rich sapphire blue with scales that reflected like coins in the sun. Her human-esque upper half was a sun-bleached white, littered with pale scars, and her hair was a bold auburn. Such vibrant colors were indicative of mermaids, not whales.

Ben’s eyes blinked heavily and she sank slowly to the bottom of the tank, folding her arms under her head as she rested on her stomach. Her hair wafted about in the water before settling down like a cloud around her shoulders. 

“The wound and journey must have taken a lot of you,” Anakin said, eyes soft with sympathy. “Don’t worry. We’ll fix you up just like last time.”

A small stream of bubbles and a warbled whistle answered him. He and Qui-Gon retreated carefully to let her sleep, waiting until they were secure in their shared office to speak.

“Whalers are cruel but they aren’t fools, they would know better than to attack a mermaid if they wanted their business to continue,” the younger man decided, beginning to pace his usual route between their desks to think. “They must have been searching for mermaids specifically, but I haven’t heard of any black market dealings through our inside source.”

The inside source was his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Padme. Coming from a wealthy, prominent political family, she was invited to all sorts of soiree’s and illicit affairs that required money and a flexible moral compass. She used that position and admission to bust illegal activities, without letting them know it was her doing so that she could continue her crusade.

“I can’t say I understand it either, but for now it would be safer if Ben stayed here,” Qui-Gon counseled from his desk, typing in the new measurements. “And the less who know about her, the better.”

“Right,” Anakin stated, already planning a jump scare for Cody and Rex. Ben loved pranks, so she’d be game. “Only people we trust. Got it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mermaids are Known, but sightings are extremely rare and they are protected by like a million laws.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cody and Rex meet Ben.

“Right this way, gentlemen, the big tank is in the back,” Anakin explained as he guided the two security guards, struggling to keep his face friendly but neutral. “We keep it locked up so that no one can sneak peeks without permission.”

“Oh, and just what is so interesting that people would go that far just to see it?” Cody asked, stepping alongside his brother, Rex. They shared a look, not at all buying the innocent act that Anakin was trying to play up. “It’s probably just a big shark or something that you’ll try to scare us with.”

Gaping in affront, the blond researcher replied, “Do you really think so little of me? That I’d try such a juvenile prank?”

“Yes,” Rex replied without hesitation.

“Absolutely,” Cody added.

Clutching his chest as if wounded, he opened the door to that led to what he had dubbed ‘Ben’s room’. “Wow. That hurts.”

They walked into the darkness, the only light coming from the illuminated water. The chamber itself was enormous with ceilings high enough that the rafters were lost in the gloom. It had been formerly used to house shipping trucks and building materials. Once the facility had been completed and all the necessary equipment acquired, there was no more use for such a large storage structure. Qui-Gon had proposed the renovation into a large aquatic animal housing unit and he had been given the funds.

Now, the tank sat at the back of the area, encompassing nearly half of the space and the length of an entire wall. Lush plants had been placed inside with large rocks to provide hiding places and a comfortable surrounding for whatever occupant resided in it.

“It’s empty,” Cody said.

Rex took a long drag of his coffee. “He’s brought us here just to look at an empty tank. Brilliant prank, Anakin, you really got us.”

Stepping closer to the glass, Anakin scratched his head. “That’s strange. Hmm, let me have a look.” He climbed up the set of stairs to the feeding platform. Inspecting the inside of the tank from above, he returned his blue gaze to the brothers who stared back with matching unimpressed looks. “I don’t understand…”

A hand shot out of the water and grabbed Anakin by the ankle. With a yell, he was dragged in.

The brothers shouted in alarm. Rex dropped his coffee and raced up the stairs while Cody lunged for the stun gun located on the other side.

The blond guard reached the top and prepared to dive after the researcher before stopping in shock. His brother returned to his side, stun gun at the ready and cursed loudly when he saw what had halted him.

Two heads peeked up from the water, wearing matching grins and Anakin burst into laughter. “OH, you’re FACES! Man, I wish I had my camera!”

Cody let the weapon fall to his side. “That- That’s a-“

“Mermaid...” Rex rubbed his eyes. “It can’t be!”

“Hey now, don’t be rude,” Anakin chided as he swam the edge and started to climb up. Ben followed and helped him up, lifting him by the waist onto the platform. The brothers retreated a few steps, eyeing her with a mixture of awe and caution.

Ben blinked slowly at them, trying to ease their fear, and let loose a soft thrumming note that made them jump. She frowned in confusion at the reaction.

Anakin quickly stepped in, gesturing at the copper-haired female floating at the surface. “This is Ben. She’s a mermaid and my friend.” He turned to her and referenced each in turn. “Ben, this is Cody and Rex, they’re brothers and security guards here.”

“Uh, hello,” Cody greeted with a tight smile.

Rex glared at Anakin. “Yeah, nice to meet you. A little warning would have been _nice_.”

They all froze as she hauled herself on the platform with shower of water and sat with half her tail still in the tank. Streams of water trickled down, her long copper hair plastered to her bare torso and shoulders. An entertained expression crossed her face as the newcomers visibly struggled not to stare. Humans and their strange notions of nudity.

“Okay then,” Anakin said with a helpless shrug. “I guess Ben wanted to greet you properly. She’s been eager to meet new people so I promised to introduce you guys.”

After a silent debate between the two, the brothers approached her with slow steps. Even sitting down, they still had to tilt their heads up a little to meet her gaze.

Cody stuck out his hand and tried not to visibly wince as she gripped it. Her grip was strong and moist, her skin felt slick but soft. It was a strange sensation, but not entirely unpleasant.

Ben stared in fascination at his warm brown skin and brought his hand closer to her face. Anakin muffled a snort as she began tracing the few scars he had with a clawed finger. Cody stilled in anticipation of pain but the claw never broke the skin.

She met his amber gaze with her own.

He’d never seen such blue eyes.

“Pretty,” Ben said in a throaty, honeyed voice.  

Cody’s mouth dropped open and he heard Rex choke behind him. “She can speak?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A cliff hanger but only because the chapter got too long and I had to cut it in half. I debated whether I wanted her to speak, but I figured why can't she do both and teach Anakin Mermaidian as well? It's only fair.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anakin had to wait until Qui-Gon was gone to pull his shenanigans. Of course.

“Well, yes, a little, I’ve been teaching her and she’s been teaching me to speak mermaid,” Anakin replied, watching their interactions with glee. “Trust me, there’s a steep learning curve on my part. Human throats just can’t replicate certain sounds. Mermaids are extremely intelligent and excellent mimics. We only started the day before yesterday and she’s already got rudimentary communication down.”

Ben had dropped Cody’s hand and he backed away gratefully, feeling his heart beating hard in his chest. Whether it was from the danger or the fact that she’d called him ‘pretty’, he didn’t know.

She had moved onto her next target: Rex. He’d been observing next to Anakin, ready to jump in if necessary but now he allowed her long, slender hand to brush gently over his blond hair. She looked to Anakin and he responded, “That’s right. Blond, like me.”

“Blond,” her tongue drew out the ‘d’ and she narrowed her eyes at the sound. A series of soft clicks and smooth hums escaped her throat and Anakin chuckled, “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Sorry it’s not as pleasant sounding as your language.”

“So, what brings a mermaid to Coruscant, Ben?” Rex asked, enduring her inspection with polite dignity, trying to ignore the others smirking at him.

Anakin opened his mouth to reply but Ben beat him to the punch. “Hurt,” she answered and touched her injured tail. “Bad men.”

Cody scowled at the sight of the harpoon wound against her scales. “Poachers?”

“Disguised as whalers we think,” Anakin expounded on the theory. Qui-Gon had proposed the hidden identity that the poachers might have adopted in order to seek out a rarer prey. Whaling was illegal as well as frowned upon, but not to the degree of mermaid-hunting. “She came here because we’ve helped her before.”

“Really?” Rex guided Ben’s hand away from his gun holster and she made a discontented noise. “Sorry, Ben, that’s dangerous.”

“Dan-ge-rous,” she repeated, pulling away hastily. “Bad. Dangerous.”

Anakin strode closer as her whole body shivered and her fins flared. “No, it’s okay. He’s not going to hurt you.” He cupped her damp face with his hands as her far-away gaze darted around looking for enemies. “They’re good men.”

“Good men,” Ben said after a long minute and inhaled deeply, gills fluttering. “Cody. Rex. Good men.”

The brothers had respectfully maintained a safe distance while Anakin calmed the giant mermaid down. Cody moved the stun gun he had on his holster out of view, not wanting to upset her further. “Seems like an episode of PTSD. How long were they hunting her?”

“Moons.” Ben answered miserably. “Was alone.”

Anakin patted her on the shoulder as Rex glowered, “Disgusting vultures. Don’t they know that you’re sentient?”

“That’s never stopped traffickers before,” Cody replied, pulling out his cell to make a note. “Do you happen to know where exactly you last saw them, Ben?”

Her face scrunched up in thought and she sang-spoke a long speech and gestured for Anakin to translate, which he did with some difficulty, “It’s hard to equate the measurements into what we understand, but it was probably a month’s journey from here. The water was much colder and there were very tall cliffs and ice flows. I’d say she was up north, near Hoth.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense. They do a lot of commercial fishing up there. For the crabs.” They stared at Rex and he flushed. “I like watching Deadliest Catch, okay? Sue me. I also happen to know that whales migrate there as well.”

Cody typed in the information. “I’ll see what I can dig up. Any illegal ocean activity will be of great interest for our higher ups, especially concerning whales.”

“Let’s just keep Ben out of it for now,” Anakin added, gripping her hand when she brushed back his hair, dampening his curls. “If they find out she’s here, they’ll try and take her while she’s wounded.”

“Right, speaking of which, how long to think you’ll be staying,” Rex addressed Ben as her other hand touched her wound carefully. It had been treated, but she needed time to rest to recover her full strength. It had been a long, painful journey. 

She hummed and the sound vibrated through the metal platform up their legs. “Heal. Then go.”

Anakin looked distraught and Ben cradled his face in her hands, like he had with her. The low mutterings she said in her native tongue were private and meant for his ears alone. Her eyes were soft but steady. “I know you can’t stay, but… just for a little while more? It’s been so long since I last saw you.”

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Trilling reassuringly, she pressed sweet, moist kisses to his cheeks and forehead.

The brothers sniggered underneath their breath and Anakin glared at them but pressed eagerly into the given affection. “Don’t be jealous because I have an awesome mermaid friend and you don’t.”

Ben’s glowing blue stare slid over to them and narrowed.

They held up their hands. “We’re just joking, that’s all.”                 

She hummed again, chirping a small laugh. Humans were so fun to tease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should the next chapter be from her POV or the backstory of how they found her?
> 
> (Obi-Mom is in full swing, complete with 'embarrassing' Anakin in front of his friends. He loves it, the needy child.)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben's Origin Story, Part 1. This is how she came to meet Anakin all those years ago. Also, mer facts and world building.

Ben’s true name was Obi-Wan Kenobi and she was one of the few survivors of her small clan in the Northern Oceans. Her people were much larger in size but more cautious than their Southern brethren. They lived far from any human population, feeding in the dark waters and resting on floating ice shelves to absorb what little warmth they could from the sun. It was a hard existence but simple and peaceful.

When she was young and bold, Obi-Wan petitioned the Council of Elders for a mission to the South, to seek out new possible food sources as pollution and illegal fishing made their waters increasingly inhospitable. They granted her leave to go. Eagerly but with understanding of the importance of her mission, she promised to return before the ice froze over and True Winter began. At that time, the mers would descend to the deepest part of the ocean and fall into a wakeless sleep until the spring sun warmed the waters yet again.

Obi-Wan swam and marveled as the waters changed from a clear freezing cobalt to murky sea-green. Her eyes were keen from delving into nigh pitch black depths so the shift brought little trouble. Nevertheless, she kept her guard up for humans.

The ocean was more active this far from her ice-covered home and when she came across a pod of blue whales, she asked to join them. They agreed to guide her as on their route there was as a section of ocean filled with the floor-dwelling creatures that her people enjoyed eating.

The journey was slower than if she had traveled by herself, but she was glad for the company. She traded stories with the nursing mothers and used her clever hands to open clams and oysters to feed the calves.

Their leader was the oldest and wisest whale in their pod and she offered Obi-Wan a warning. “ _The mer here are not like you, they do not have your size or strength. Fellow hunters hold no love for your kind. They will not understand you and may assume you are gentle like the whalefolk.”_

 _“They would hunt mer?_ “Obi-Wan asked, shocked some might wish to hurt them. Mer did not eat large game, only floor-dwellers and small fish. “ _My people are feared by the leopard seals and wampas._ _Any creatures in these waters will learn that a mer was not as easy a prey as they have supposed._ ”

When they arrived at her destination, the pod of blue whales had wished her goodbye and continued on without her. She’d miss them but she had a mission to complete.

The promising waters were so bright of a blue that it hurt her eyes and warm to the point of discomfort. It would take some of the older mer a while to adjust but her people were exceptionally adaptable so she did not worry. They could travel to the South for food in the summer and fall and return for hibernation and breeding in the winter and spring.

Spread out before her was a massive established reef, very old and flourishing with more color than Obi-Wan had ever seen in her life. The feeding was abundant and she had gone into a frenzy, gorging herself on mussels and slow, fat crabs. She lightly swatted aside curious sharks when they had nibbled on her tail to investigate and eat her scraps. Sharks were not as intelligent as whales or dolphins but they weren’t inherently evil, merely instinct-based. While mapping out possible resting places in rock caves near the feeding ground, they followed her, trailing by her sides like smaller fish would for larger predators.

As her investigation began to draw to a close and she considered returning to her home to declare the mission a success, she encountered her first large predator. A great white shark wandered in from the blue and her fins had flared in both alarm and excitement. She’d always wanted to meet a great white and now she’d get the chance.

Swimming slowly into the shark’s line of sight, she mimicked the friendly movements she’d learned from the smaller sharks. Either puzzled or unafraid of a smaller predator, the great white allowed her to approach. At nearly three yards in length from the top of her head to the tip of her tail fin, Obi-Wan was not a tiny mer but the shark had her beat by nearly twice that.

She ghosted her hands over the shark’s back, gently petting it’s sides and brushing against it with her tail and torso. This was how she often played with the seals back home and on land she would let them snuggle up next to her and cradle the young ones in her arms.

It wasn’t until the shark began to make advances in return that she realized it was a male shark, and he was _interested_. Embarrassed but amused, she let him court her for the sake of getting along. When he began to nip at her fins, she released a sharp whistle and shot away to hide beneath an overhang of rocks.

 _I’m not ready for pups_ , she thought with a shudder, _especially not shark pups._

Insulted, the great white retreated with a flick of his tail.

Or would have, if not a for a spear shooting through the water and impaling his back.

A pained shriek had Obi-Wan clawing her way out from under the rock and darting forward. She reached the struggling male and began to tug out the long piece of metal. She’d seen them before, used on whales who came to the North to feed and breed. She hated them.

The line pulled taut and began to drag the shark upwards. Panicked, Obi-Wan debated whether to risk being seen or to let him be pulled to the surface. Another pained groan escaped him and blood began to fog the water.

 _They will kill him_ , she thought and knew her decision was made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan is self-sacrificing no matter what AU it is. Gosh, I hate how much I love her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben's Origin Story, Part 2. I just meant to give Hondo a little part but he ended up taking over the whole chapter. He really does love giving Obi-Wan a hard time, no matter what universe it is.

Hondo Ohnaka was not a foolish man for all that he played the fool. When his crew hauled up a thrashing mermaid instead of the great white shark they had been chasing, he felt a headache begin to form just behind his eyes.

“Oh my, what trouble have I pulled from the ocean today?” He leaned away as a clawed, webbed hand swiped out blindly. The mermaid was tangled in one of his largest nets and the more she fought, the tighter it pulled and cut into her. Luminous blue eyes stared at Hondo from gaps in the net, watching his actions with animal fear.

“Hello, lovely,” he said, putting on his most charming smile. “And why did you decide to interfere with my catch, hmm? Were you eager to meet a handsome man like myself?”

A hair-raising rumble issued from her throat and he took a step back. “Perhaps not then.”

Leisurely, he circled his dangerous catch and noted her size and coloring. “I’ve seen mermaids before, but none like you, my dear. I don’t suppose you are from around here, are you?”

Her tail thumped against the damp wooden deck and she crooned desolately. As callous as he was, Hondo felt his heart pang at the sound.

“I’ll take that as a no.” He tapped a finger against his jaw and continued his pacing. “I _could_ sell you on the black market. You’d fetch a handsome price.” With a sigh, he removed his hat and scratched his head. “But the sale might be traced back to me and it is a minimum thirty-five year sentence. Too much trouble, even for something so beautiful.”

“So what’ll we do, Captain?” His first mate, Jiigu, asked as he kept a healthy distance. “Selling mermaids ain’t the same as hunting sharks.”

“It’s simple, my dim friend, we’ll bring her to that fancy aquarium lab in Coruscant and demand a reward. No cops, no fuss,” Hondo answered with a smirk. “I’ve done business with Qui-Gon before and he will most certainly be interested in what I have to offer this time.”

The mermaid wriggled and growled when Hondo approached but he only leaned down to gather some of her scales that had fallen out during her struggle. “Of course, selling some genuine mermaid scales will fetch us a hefty sale as well. Jiigu. Gather them up.”

Meeting the eyes of the snarling mermaid, his first mate gulped. “A-aye, aye, Captain.”

 

Obi-Wan had thought her captors would have been cruel to her, as they had been with the shark she had saved. They weren’t. They kept her restrained, loose enough not to strangle but tight enough that she couldn’t test her strength fully against the bonds. They covered her tail with wet cloth and routinely dump buckets of seawater on her scales to keep them from drying out in the hot sun. It wasn’t comfortable. She felt as if she couldn’t quite inhale all the way but it was bearable. For whatever reason, they wanted her alive that was clear enough to see.

She hissed at the human’s leader who, despite her inability to understand his language, made it a point to speak to her as often as he could. It baffled her. She couldn’t decide if he was brave or an idiot to seek out the company of a predator bigger than himself. One misstep and she could gut him with a single swipe.

After twelve moons had passed aboard the ship, she had given way to regarding him with bored indifference. The fish he brought her were fresh and she ate them reluctantly. Only mates and kin brought each other food, and this human was no kin of hers. He didn’t know the meaning behind his actions, she hoped, but he grinned as if he’d won a small victory every time she accepted the meals.

“ _You’re a strange one_ ,” she told him as he watched her swallow each tiny fish whole with amazement. _“Are all humans like you, I wonder?”_

The leader’s face lit up and he babbled in his unintelligible language for a good long while. She regretted speaking to him, even in jest. _“Do you ever stop talking?”_

“Thosdee sd ldkesld dkle _friend_ ldkwo appesoet.”

Obi-Wan straightened as much as she could, her pointed ears pricking forward. _“I beg your pardon? Did you just say ‘friend’?”_

“Dataltw aset _friend? Friend friend friend_ ,” he repeated the word with an enthusiastic grin.

Scrunching up her face, she shook her head, disliking the way her dried hair felt against her shoulders and back. _“You want to be my friend? Is that it? Or are you merely repeating a word that I recognize?”_

_“Friend friend friend friend!”_

Obi-Wan considered the smaller male in front of her. “ _Capturing someone is not a good means of making a lasting friendship, but seeing as you haven’t disemboweled or eaten me, I suppose I can’t be too picky.”_

 _"Friend,”_ he enunciated carefully, placing a hand on his chest before extending it out to her. There was nothing in it for her to eat. She didn’t understand the gesture but he continued to hold it out. He had moved close enough for her to touch and for a moment she considered attacking. 

Her curiosity got the best of her.

Guardedly, she reached out and touched one finger to his palm. He gripped it, giving it a small shake. She raised an eyebrow. _“Very well then? That was odd.”_

 _“Friend,”_ he repeated and gestured to her this time.

 _“Fine, whatever pleases you, I’ll be your friend, talkative human,”_ she sighed and lowered her chin to rest on her arms. _“Bring me more fish, why don’t you? Do you understand that? Fish? …I’ve gone mad, talking to a_ human _.”_

Obi-Wan jerked her chin to the barrel of salted fish just off to the side. _“Fish.”_

He meandered over and picked up a fish, glancing at her for confirmation.

 _“Yes. Good boy.”_ She nodded. _“By the stars, they can be taught.”_

With a skip in his step, the male returned to her. Sweeping into a low bow, he handed it to her. She gingerly picked it up with her claws, feeling as if she’d fallen into a trap as she ate it. “Ssofdwe ds oie _fish!_ Dodse sfde osfoiu liflies lfi elsfes eiempaet!”

 _“...Oh, no.”_ Her face twisted in dawning horror. _“You’re not going to stop now, are you?”_

“Dodeokds skfe _fish_ ando sfd ode osfaoefde. Edos we ofkeo soe fosfe kosf eeeod osedea _friend_. Doe soeey cnzx cpqe soe!”

Obi-Wan groaned and covered her head with her arms. _"What have I done?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hondo's going to show up at the lab like 'Yooooo I trained a mermaid y'all!' and Obi-Wan's like 'Yes yes my stupid human, here's your reward. A pat on the hand. Now fetch me more fish.'


End file.
